Separator



' Oct. Z2, 1929. l M SPROCKHOFF 1,732,386

SEYARATOR I Filed Aug. 6. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hm L 22, 1,929. MSPRQQKHOFFv SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 5. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct.22, 1929 PATENT oFFicE MAXIMILIAN SPROCKHOFF,

OF ST, GEORGEN, NEAR FREIBURG,

GERMANY SEPARATOR Application filed August The present invention hasreference to improvements in `clarifying and settling tanks and relatesmore particularly to tanks of this general character for clarifying,parting, and settling fluids in which, according to this invention, thesettling chamber proper is subdivided by obliquely extending parallelbaille or settling plates into a plurality of cells through which theliquid to be cleared is passed by means of an overflow arrangement, andthe particular` object of the invention is to so arrange the bailleplates that the products of separation running off the lower edges ofthe plates are discharged for settling to the bottom of the tank Withoutcoming again within the domain of, and thus being entrained upwardly by,the liquid under treatment which is constantly agitated and kept in flowby the continuous inflow of fresh liquid.

According to my invention this improvement is obtained by mounting theparallel oblique settling plates in the settling chamber in such mannerthat their lower discharge edges extend below the body of moving liquidunder treatment, with the result that the separated-out products runningoil the lower edges of the plates can unimpededly settle to the bottomof the tank. 4A further improvement iii this tank construction is theprovision of cross-partitions between the individual settling plates,arranged cross-wise o the flow of the liquid at the settling andrunning-olfv zone, so that in this portion of the tank a disturbingmovement of the liquid is effectively prevented.

My invention will readily be understood from a detailed description inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a verticalsection on line 1--1 of Fig. 2; which latter is a longitudinal sectionon line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an oblique section on line 3--3 ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 5, which latterfigure is a top view of a modification.

The tank or vat a of reinforced concrete, wood or other suitablematerial is subdivided into a relatively large number of bottomlesscells by obliquely arranged parallel ninfas n nl metal. wood. glass, orthe like,

6, 1927, Serial No.

211,137, and in Germany August 9, 1926.

resting on cross supports b. These plates c may extend the entire lengthof the tank, or they ma be arranged in groups or sets, four of whichsets are shown by way of example, spacedly mounted in alinement. Theangle at which these plates extend may vary and is determined by thesliding coetlicienl` of the material treated.

.Preferably the respective tank walls are given the same slope or slantasthe contained plates c, as shown in Fig. 1. The grouped plates attheir lower ends are spacedly held in place by the serratedcrosssupports b. At the top the plates are interspaced by the distancemembers d or other suitable means. rlhe settling plates may have asmooth settling surface, or they may be roughened, buckled, orcorrugated or otherwise deformed, as some substances will settle betteron uneven surfaces.

Between the several plate groups in the lower p art of the tank areprovided lower partition walls or baille plates 1', extending cross-wiseof the direction of flow of the passing liquid, for preventingdisturbiii 15 flow of the liquid at this zone, which would interferewith the proper undisturbed disclatrge of the sediment from offthesettling a es.

In the lower contracted portion of the tank is provided a conveyer e formoving the solids or the pulpous concentrate through an adjustablecut-off f, for instance a valve or slide, to an adjustable discharge g.As shown in Fig. 2, this conveyor arrangement extends horizontally, butit may also, obviously, be slantingly arranged to aid in the dischargemovement of the concentrate.

If the tank is relatively small, all four walls thereof may betaperingly brought together at the bottom so that-the concentrate willsettle at the lowest point thereof for ready discharge therefrom withoutany special conveying means.

The liquid to be treated enters the tank 05 from the side troughh andleaves by the clpposite trough and in its passage through the tank flowsthrough the interspaces between the settling plates. The lowermostboundary of the liquid kept in motion by the 10* constant flow of freshliquid is indicated by wise of the flow movement of the liquid and thearrowed dash-line in Fig. 2. Thus, at the extending from the tank bottombelow the l places where the settling substances slip ott' lower zone offlow of the liquid upwardly into the plates c, that is their loweredges, there the lower zone ot' flow o f the liquid, to prey 5 is noflow movement of the liquid so that the vent the latter from coming into.wiping consettling substances can unimpededly sink to tact with thelower portion of said plates.

the tank bottom without danger of being en- 3. In a separator of thecharacter set forth,

trained by the flow-inor liquid, which makes the combination with aliquid containing for a greatly improve clarifying action over tank, ofa plurality of parallel settlinfT plates lo the prior art, where thesettling particles arranged obliquely laterally in said Ctank in 7 werealways subjected more or less to the disthe direction of the line offlow of the liquid turbing action of the moving liquid. and immersed inthe liquid therein, thewalls In the modilication shown in Figs. 4 and ofsaid tank having a slope corresponding to 5, the arrangement of thesettling plates o the slope of the plates, and means for causing isshown in connection with a tank 0f Square liquid to flow continuouslythrough said tan i cross-section, the tank a being centrally sub- 1nsuch manner as to cause portions of the divided into two chambers by apartition wall plates above a certain level to be immersed .g which doegnot extend quite down t0 the 111 lloWllig llqllld and-pOrt10IiS Of theplates tank bottom und leaves at one side a passage belowsaid level tobe immersed in relatively t (Fig. 5) for the liquid, for the purpose ofstill liquid and at least the portions of the S5 reversing the How 0fthe liquid i the second plates immersed in the Ielatlv'ely Stlll liquidchamber relative to that in the first chamber. belng imperforate forcoaction with said The inflow and outliow troughs i and z" remeans toallow settling substances to slide off spectively'iii this instance areseparately arthe latter-named portions of the lates and ranged on thesame tank wall. This arrange- Settle 111 the bOttOHi 0f the tank WlthOutdlS- so ment permits of ta ringly running the walls tl1rbflI1C-f1`0mlOWlIlg llquld. c 0f the 'tank moet 1er into a bottom funnel Intestimony whereof I aiX my signature. for discharge of the sediment.v Asimple agi- MAXIMILIAN SPROCKHOFF. tator u operated froii`above-servesfor stirso ring the sediment. as

As in the case of single suspensions, a similarly favorable operation ishad in separating two suspensions of different specific weights, each ofwhich by-itself is rather dificult to part, for instance in themanufacture 10o of starch in the separation of thick, impure, stringystarch milk, which can readily be separated into a suspension of purestarch, and a fibrous suspension. In the same manner two liquids ofdierent specific weights can readily be separated in my improvedseparator.

What'I claim is 1. In a separator of the character set forth,

the combination with a liquid containing tank, of a pluralit of parallelsettling plates extending oblique y in said tank laterally of the lineof flow of the liquid and immersed in the liquid therein, and means forcausing liquid to flow continuously through said tank 115 in such manneras to cause portions of the plates above a certain llevel to be immersedin flowing liquid and portions ofthe plates belowsaid level to beimmersed in relatively 'still liquid and at least the portions of the1:0

lates immersed in the relatively still liquid eing imperforate for thepurpose of allowing settling substances to slide off the latternamedportions of the. plates and settle in the bottom of the tank withoutdisturbance 125 from flowing liquid. i 2. In a separator according toclaim 1,' the arrangement of the settling plates in groups and theprovision of cross-partitions between sa groups of said settling plates,arranged cross- 130

